Peer Reviewed Paper
Back to Secondary Research ---- As the project initially looked at Jelly Babies, research was conducted into the food industry. The information which follows below is about Confectionary Gels which many sweets are made from. __TOC__ What are confectionary gels? Burey etal (2009) states that Confectionery Gels (CGs) are high sugar systems with an assortment of gelling components, each chosen for their textural attributes resulting in the desired firmness. These materials are melted together and the molten gel can be shaped into various shapes. Confectionery Gel Formulation There are many types of gelling agents which are used in formulation of Confectionery Gels. These often include agar, starch, pectin, alginates, and gums. Most confectionery gels also contains sucrose, glucose syrup, starch, gelatin and water and small amounts of food acids along with both flavourings, and colourings. Sucrose and Glucose Syrup The purpose of sucrose is to act as a sweetener in food. This is usually used in conjunction with glucose syrup. Glucose syrup can increase the rate at which sucrose is dissolved and also delays the rate of recrystallisation in food. Sucrose and Glucose syrup contribute to the texture of the final product. The sucrose which is used in the confectionery industry is non-crystalline as opposed to the usual crystalline sugar which is purchased by consumers. Water Water acts as a solvent in chemical reactions. It can also work as a reactant in various hydrolytic processes; compounds are broken down by the water. By removing water or adding salt or sugar to food, the rate of micro-organism growth is inhibited. This results in a longer lifespan of the food. In confectionary gels, water helps in gel formation by acting as plasticizer. Colouring There are 3 different types of colourings used in industry; Synthesized colourings which have no compounds similar to those found in natural products, synthesized colourings that are chemically identical to ones found in nature, and naturally sourced colourings which come directly from plant or animal sources. It assumed that colourings have little effect on the texture of a confectionary gel, their sole purpose is to affect the aesthetics of the product. Most of these colourings are water soluble and are added into the ingredients of the confectionary gels at a concentration of less than 1%. Flavourings Like colourings, flavourings can be divided into three categories; synthesized with no natural analogs, synthesized which that are chemically identical to ones found in nature, and natural. Flavourings can simply be essential oils found in fruit or spices, or a synthetic amalgam of approved chemical compounds. Flavourings are usually added at the last stage of production as they are volatile and high temperatures can affect them. They also often diluted to lessen the intensity of the taste. While natural compounds are more volatile than synthetics, they are regarded as the healthier option. Reference: All of the information on this page was sourced from: Burey, et al. (2009). Confectionery Gels: A Review on Formulation, Rheological and Structural Aspects.. International Journal of Food Properties. 12 (1), pp179-182.